Coin-controlled beverage dispenser



July 7, 1942. 2. v. CARTER v COIN-CONTROLLED BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 15, 1940 INVENT OR. Z0 m d Is/fer,

' ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN-CONTROLLED BEVERAGE DISPENSER Zoma V. Carter, Muncie, Ind.

Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,003

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements 7 in bottled beverage dispensing apparatus.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of a coin-controlled dispenser which will permit the removal of a single bottle only upon the operation of the coin-controlled apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin-controlled dispenser providing a range of selectivity of different types or flavored beverages.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a dispensing unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coin-controlled mechanism for controlling the dispensing of the containers or bottles;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the drive mechanism.

In the embodiment illustrated, most any type of easing may be provided and I have illustrated the casing I having two doors 22 hinged to a center bar 3 to permit the doors respectively to be opened. This casing, at one end, is provided, likewise, with a longitudinal slot 5 for a purpose more fully to be hereinafter disclosed.

The coin-controlled dispensing mechanism may be constructed as an entirely separate unit adapted to be placed within the casing, above described, and surrounded by or placed above suitable refrigerating units or a suitable refrigerating ice, if desired.

Each of the units preferably comprises a casing having side walls 6 and end walls I. This casing or frame is divided into a plurality of parallel rows of compartments, in the present instance illustrated as 8, 8' and 8" all open at their tops. The casing is preferably elevated by suitable extension supports 9 on the bottom thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Each row of compartments is closed by a closure member comprising a pair of parallel chains l0 and II connected by cross bars I2 which, while permitting a view to the interior of the compartments, will prevent access to the compartments except at one point in the closure wherein sufiicient cross bars I! have been left out to provide a discharge opening corresponding in size to the size or one of the compartments 8 or 8'. This flexible cover member operates over top idle sprockets l3 and bottom idle sprockets l4 and I5 as Well as over driving sprockets l6 arranged at the top' and one end ofthe compartment frame. There is one set of driving sprockets for each of the flexible closure bands, there being oneband for'each row of compartments andall of the sprockets of the parallel rowsare mounted upon the transversely extending shaft I1. Each set of the sprockets Iii-l6 is preferably mounted on a hollow shaft l8 rotatable on the supporting shaft l1, and each hollow shaft [8 has also mounted thereon and rotatable therewith a driving gear IS.

A selector driving gear 2!! is mounted on a shaft 2| supported in parallel relation with the shaft I! by suitable brackets 22 and this selector driving gear 20, while being drivingly rotatable with the shaft 2|, is laterally slidable thereon to mesh with any one of the selected driving gears IS. The shaft is shifted into meshing engagement by a suitable shiftable handle 23 carried on the upper rod 24 mounted above the top of the casing I and this shiftable handle is connected with the gear 20 by means of a suitable yoke 25 which extends down through the slot 5 in the casing.

The shaft 2| is rotated through the medium of a coin-controlled driving mechanism 26 mounted on the end of the shaft 2| and arranged exterior of the casing. This coin-controlled mechanism is such that upon the insertion of a coin therein by the operation of the handle 26 thereof, the shaft I8 is rotated sufliciently to move the closure member one step. After this rotation of the shaft I8 is made, however, the coin releases the drive so that the shaft 2l cannot be given a second rotation without the insertion of another coin in the mechanism. The driving mechanism, including the gear 2% and the gears 19, is so proportioned that one rotation of the shaft I8 will advance the flexible cover member one step or a suificient distance to cause the opening in the cover member to coincide with the next succeeding compartment.

The operation of the device is obvious. After the device has been suitably filled and set, the purchaser may, through the manipulation of the handle 23 and the index pointer 21 in connection with the spotting points 28, move the driving gear 20 into mesh with any one of the driving gears l9 to thereby select the flavor or type of beverage desired. After the driving connection has been established upon the insertion of the coin in the coin-controlled mechanism 26 and the handle 28' rotated, assuming all compartments to be full, the flexible cover of the selected row of compartments will be moved to cause its opening to coincide with the opening of the opening of the initial compartment. Obviously, after the selected bottle is removed from that particular com partment, the next rotation of the shaft 2| will uncover the next succeeding compartment.

After the desired compartment has been selected, of course, either one of the covers 2 may be raised to permit access to the interior and the selected bottle removed.

Suitable protecting guide channels 29 for the driving chains In and H may be provided to prevent injury to the hands of those removing the contents, and it is obvious that instead of bar members 12 for providing a, flexible covering, as illustrated, other forms of closure members may be used.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bottled beverage dispensing machine, in combination, a plurality of rows of compartments, each row containing a plurality of compartments, a pair of continuous belts associated with each row of compartments, cover means for the compartments of the row carried by each pair of belts, having a single discharge opening adapted to coincide with any one of the compartments of the row, a driving shaft for each pair of belts, a driven gear mounted on said shaft, a second driving shaft, a driving gear driven from said second driving shaft and axially shiftable thereon for engagement with any one of the driven gears, and operator driving mechanism for rotating said second driving shaft.

2. In a bottled beverage dispensing machine, in combination, a plurality of rows of compartments, each row having a plurality of compartments therein, a pair of sprocket chains for each row of compartments, cover means for each row of compartments carried by each pair of said sprocket chains having a discharge opening therein adapted to coincide with any one of the compartments of the row, a driving shaft for each pair of sprocket chains, sprocket wheels carried on said shaft for driving said chains, a driven gear mounted on said shaft for rotating the same, a second driving shaft, a driving gear mounted to rotate with said driving shaft and axially shiftable thereon into driving engagement with the gears of any of said sprocket chains, and operator 7 

